Some postive from Katrina

If you have been a regular reader of mine, you know that my brother and I don't see eye-to-eye politically. It has usually led to much ribbing and some arguing.

My brother was in town for a family visit when Katrina struck. Together, our family witnessed first-hand the devastation and aftermath. Together, we would huddle around the small, black and white battery-operated TV and watch the only remaining local station. Together, we heard the stories coming out of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes and states.

I was stunned when Chris announced that he really liked what Haley Barbour and what he had to say after watching a press conference. He said, "He maked a lot of sense." Of course, I immediately said, "That's great. You know, he used to be the chairman for the GOP and he worked closely with Newt Gingrich." To which, there was a moment of stunned silence til he responded, "Oh really."

Chris also was stunned to find, when we left the area on Saturday and started to hear national news, that the MSM was blaming Bush. He just couldn't understand why. Being brought up in the New Orleans area, it was a no-brainer who really deserves the blame. Believe me, they have had 40 years since the last major hurricane (Betsy) to prepare. They knew the levees would break because they broke with Betsy which was only a Cat 3. The administration of New Orleans before Nagin was as corrupt as you can get. And, the ironic thing is that, in light of the race card being played, the New Orleans government is entirely black. And they are the ones lining their own pockets and posturing for more power. They couldn't care less about their own race.

Anyway, back to Chris. He actually defended Bush to his girlfriend. I couldn't believe it! He, in the past, has looked to the government to solve problems. But this experience has taught him that people, ordinary people, can get the job done faster and better. It is best not to rely on the government to solve problems because all that does is take away people's abilities to help themselves and others.

See, some good can come from tragedy.